Sknowed Blog | Snow Forecasts, Ski Maps & Resort Updates

Japan Snow Forecast & Current Conditions
Japan’s enchanting winter landscapes and world-class ski resorts draw snow enthusiasts from around the globe. Whether you’re a seasoned skier or a novice snowboarder, staying updated on the latest snow conditions is crucial for planning the perfect winter adventure. In this article, we’ll explore the best sources for obtaining accurate and timely snow information for Japanese ski resorts. Discover where to find a reliable Japan snow forecast! Official Resort Websites Provide Snow Forecasts & Current Conditions: The first source for snow information is the official website of the ski resort you plan to visit. Many websites provide real-time updates on...
Read More
Avalanche Skills Training in Japan (AST-1 and AST-2)
In Japan, winter enthusiasts can enjoy picturesque landscapes and world-class skiing. However, the beauty of snow-covered mountains also brings the inherent risk of avalanches. Understanding and prioritizing avalanche safety becomes paramount as winter sports enthusiasts flock to the Japanese Alps and other snow-laden regions. Avalanche safety is essential for everyone, from beginners to experts. Even when skiing within resort boundaries, knowing the basics could save lives. Avalanche Skills Training (AST) is a program tailored to educate individuals on identifying avalanche terrain, comprehending snowpack stability, and executing avalanche rescue techniques. The program primarily caters to skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and other outdoor...
Read More
Hot Wax and Maintenance at Wax Hakuba
waxHakuba If you plan on visiting Hakuba Valley you’ll be happy to know you can get your skis or snowboard hot waxed by Wax Hakuba. Hirotsugu Yamada, a former JSBA certified professional snowboarder, runs Wax Hkauba. He even picks up and delivers your skis or snowboard back on the same day, depending on the time it was picked up. That’s right, they pick up the customer’s snowboards or skis from their location, perform the necessary hot was and maintenance at their workshop, and then deliver them back to the customer. The pick-up hours are from 1100 hrs to 2100 hrs. The delivery...
Read More
Good Tips on How to Learn to Ski
Good Tips on How to Learn to Ski as a Beginner Learning to ski as a beginner can be a fun, if done right. Get started with these steps: Take a Lesson The best way to begin skiing is to take a lesson from a certified ski instructor at a ski resort. They will teach you the basics, including how to put on your equipment, balance, and the fundamental skiing techniques. Group lessons are a cost-effective option, but private lessons provide more personalized attention. At the larger resorts in Japan, many intructors speak English, some natively. Remember that lessons for children are a...
Read More
Aerialways – How to Update OpenStreetMaps.org
There are a lot of features to map on every ski mountain. Some of the main features include aerialways (eg chairlifts, gondolas, etc), pistes (ski course or run) and the actual area of a ski resort. Commonly, pistes are lines or ways. Ski areas are normally mapped as polygons. Chairlifts are normally mapped as lines but also contain point data, the pylons. This video will introduce to you how to map chairlifts and pylons. There are many projects using this data. Of course, freshsnow.jp uses this data but also Microsoft Fly Simulator expansion packs also use this data (see this...
Read More
For Ski Season, 2023/2024, Are we to expect the unexpected?
As the curtains rise on another thrilling ski season in the Land of the Rising Sun, there’s a new character lurking in the wings, ready to add its own twist to the winter drama – El Niño. Yes, the infamous climate phenomenon has decided to grace Japan with its presence this time around, and it’s looking like the ski resorts are in for quite the rollercoaster ride. For the uninitiated, El Niño is like the unpredictable relative who shows up at your family gathering, throwing everything into delightful chaos. In this case, it’s not bringing gifts; instead, it’s packing a bag...
Read More
Sapporo Ski Resorts on a Budget for Beginners
If you are a beginner and on a budget, there are an astounding 8 ski mountains to choose from about 1 hour of downtown Sapporo. Staying off the ski mountain will certainly bring down your accomodation price. Also, in early February of each year, Sapporo has their famous snow festival. Ski during the day and drink, eat and be entertained at the Sapporo Snow Festival at night (btw, in 2024, the snow festival is planned for Feb 4 to Feb 11 and that is also a great time to ski in the middle of winter with excellent...
Read More
Japan Ski Resorts Map
Freshsnow.jp was designed to provide easy access to detailed attributes about ski resorts in Japan and to display data in an easy to understand thematic ski resort map. As of November 2023, there are about 295 ski resort maps in Japan in our database. As there are about 450 to 500 ski resorts in Japan, 295 is just shy of 60% of the ski mountain data. Certainly, all the larger mountains are all included and what is mainly missing are many of the smaller ski resorts. Surprisingly, there are ski resorts on all 4 main island of Japan, namely, Hokkaido, Honshu,...
Read More
How to Get to Hakuba from downtown Tokyo or Directly from Haneda Airport?
There are many ways to get to Hakuba Valley. Most people arriving from overseas will either arrive at Haneda Airport or Narita Airport but some may wish to stay a few days in Tokyo before traveling to Hakuba Valley. We look at all the of the different ways to get to Hakuba Valley from downtown Tokyo or Haneda Airport. Table of Contents Which Airport is more Convenient to get to Hakuba? Where Exactly is Downtown Tokyo Anyway? How do I get to Downtown Tokyo from Haneda Airport? How to get to Downtown Tokyo by Train from Haneda Airport? How to get to...
Read More